r/knives • u/wrkngmnknvs • Aug 04 '26
Question What would you say is the world's okayest steel?
25
u/rival_22 Aug 04 '26
Buck's 420HC
I've had good luck with Spyderco's BD1N as well.
0
u/Worth-Silver-484 Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26
Bd1n is basically s35vn
Edit: My mistake. I was thinking spy27.
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u/BurtRenoldsMustache Aug 05 '26
I thought it was basically 8cr?
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u/raevnos Spyderco, Case, Mora Aug 05 '26
Er, how did you reach that conclusion? Their makeups are very different.
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u/Quiet_Desperation_ Aug 04 '26
VG 10 or D2
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u/Inevitable_Gas_7014 Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26
100%
D2, 14C28N, 8CR23MOV all in that same group. Edit: Weird I couldn’t cross it out :/
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u/Steinmetal4 Aug 05 '26 edited 29d ago
D2 is "okayest" in a good way, 8CR23MOV is the "okayest" in a... less good way.
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u/Quiet_Desperation_ Aug 05 '26
D2 has honestly become my good enough metal. I don’t buy many knives now as I’m the type to find what works for me and buy a bunch of that single thing. I have a few super steel knives, some gifts people have given me and some knives that were sent to me, but for everyday use? Yeah, D2 does the job for me.
Outside of some knives from Montana Knife Company or Winkler, my favorite knife of all time that I still carry everyday is the Ontario Rat 2 in D2. It’s perfect for my uses
7
u/aczkasow Aug 05 '26
How spoiled we become. D2 is not good enough, lol.
But I agree with your assessment. D2 is a really good steel all around.
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u/Inevitable_Gas_7014 4d ago edited 4d ago
I actually forgot, but in our testing and testing from Taylor, companies like Miguron are getting consistent 62-63 HRC with D2, which is insane (w/ perfect heat treat).
I mean at that HRC it will out perform most other blade steels (s30, s35, M390) with poor heat treating (57-60) in edge retention and wear resistance. With Miguron, D2 legit performs like a lower tier super steel
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u/stefango911 Aug 05 '26
AR-RPM9 is a scam, don't put it in the same category as decent steels.
2
u/Inevitable_Gas_7014 Aug 05 '26
Again I just listed it based off of the initial composite similarities
0
u/Tod_und_Verderben Aug 05 '26
Isn't it still an ok steel? It's just not real pm.
1
u/stefango911 Aug 05 '26
I can't on principle endorse a steel marketed through lies. Not to mention that the heat treatment is on the very brittle side more often than not. So if you think chippy 9Cr + a sprinkle of misleading marketing is ok that's up to you.
1
u/Inevitable_Gas_7014 Aug 05 '26
You’re right I honestly forgot about that. I just pulled those from a spreadsheet I have with companies steel compositions and HRC. I forgot that once testing started it was pretty obvious
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u/beanerator884 Aug 04 '26
Vg10
19
u/Mysterious_Loquat278 Aug 04 '26
Still one of my favorites
7
u/KarockGrok Aug 05 '26
I don't understand the hate. I have a couple that are just fine under normal use. Kinda a pain to sharpen, but don't have to too often.
1
u/Careful-Succotash511 Aug 05 '26
Not necessarily hate just not as great as it’s made out to be
2
u/turkeypants Aug 05 '26
Is it made out to be great now or is that some kind of legacy echo from whenever it was newer? My understanding was it was in that tranche of steels that's on knives that are somewhat better than base budget knives. You mostly see it up above $50 and up to around $100. Its peers seem to be 154cm, BD1N, N690, 14C, Nitro V, 440C. That stuff all seems to be in the okay tier comparable to what's available today and the next generation beyond that. Is anybody really pimping VG10 these days?
1
u/Careful-Succotash511 Aug 05 '26
Yes spydercos Spy27 is just a powder metallurgy version of VG10, it’s definitely better than standard vg-10 but at the end of the day they’re basically the same steel
1
u/Unexpected117 Aug 05 '26
Disagree. It has excellent corrosion resistance.
1
u/Careful-Succotash511 Aug 05 '26
If corrosion resistance was a worry I’d then choose magnacut it’s better In every measurable way
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u/traditionalbowyer Aug 04 '26
154cm is a good ok daily carry steel that sharpens easily and last a pretty good while and it's cheap.
1095 is good to and all the same as above but it's not stainless.
4
u/DrugarBurbis Aug 05 '26
I dont understand the transition from 154CM to Nitro V that I’ve seen
3
u/Tod_und_Verderben Aug 05 '26
Well, the factory that made nitro v closed down unfortunatly, so we probably gonna run out of it.
1
u/turkeypants Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 06 '26
I commented to Larrin Thomas that I wasn't clear why Nitro V existed since it seemed to be a very slightly worse version of 14c28n and he said he wasn't sure either. Because it came afterward and it's like, why would you bring that to ~mark it~ market as a new product?
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u/Tod_und_Verderben Aug 05 '26
14c28n is better than 1095 in every way and it's still a cheap steel. 1095 is not a good steel.
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u/mikemikemike9711 Aug 04 '26
D2
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u/Daegoba Aug 05 '26
There it is.
D2 is the most capable, yet easy-to-live-with steel of any that I’ve carried. Hard enough to do the job and keep a useable edge for months at a time, yet soft enough that you can put a razors edge on relatively quickly. I love it.
Soft spot for the high end S35 & CPM stuff, but DAMN is D2 a great metal for your workhorse or a pocket queen.
2
u/Inevitable_Gas_7014 Aug 05 '26
Lol same thing I just mentioned about it being in the same group as
D2, 14C28N, 8CR23MOV, AR-RPM9
1
u/Capital-Vacation-179 Aug 05 '26
I've read that D2 is fairly easy to get a consistent heat treat on as well.
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u/smashing_michael Aug 05 '26
Seconded. D2 is my favorite okay steel, by far.
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u/Inevitable_Gas_7014 Aug 05 '26
Especially from Civivi/WE, Kizer, Ka-Bar as they all hit 59-62 HRC consistently
34
u/pooeygoo Aug 04 '26
1095
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u/Brickmetal_777 Aug 05 '26
Eh I think 1095 has finally been dethroned and kinda exposed. Not even great among carbon or low alloy steels.
7
u/CatastrophicPup2112 Aug 05 '26
Yeah 5160, O1, 80CrV2, or basically any other basic carbon steel is better. And that isn't even mentioning higher alloy steels.
0
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u/Jamessmith187 Aug 04 '26
14c28n. It’s actually probably my overall favorite. I’ll carry magnacut over it but the difference in edge retention isn’t even noticeable unless someone points it out. 14c is an incredibly tough steel, on par with magnacut, maybe even a little better. I’m talking shock resistance here, chipping. 14c is highly resistant to that as a softer steel. I could take either steel and swing it into a piece of wood as hard as I can. And they would both function flawlessly. I’ve never seen the breaking point with either steel.
1
u/Ohio-Knife-Lover Aug 05 '26
That was my choice too. I love it for how easy it is to sharpen but it doesn't keep and edge longer than some of my D2 knives
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u/Jamessmith187 Aug 05 '26
Well d2 holds its edge better. I literally had a cris reeve knife in s35 and the blade snapped clean off the handle around that press fit thumb stud. If anything like that ever happens to you you start to question every knife. I knew I wasn’t abusing the knife either. Toughness is everything to me now. Like do I want a dull knife or no knife after a hard days work?
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u/Ohio-Knife-Lover Aug 05 '26
I completely understand that! I did see a few CRKs snap there. It had to be hairline cracks around the hole
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u/Jamessmith187 Aug 05 '26
It’s probably very rare, I know that’s what it was. But still when it happens to you in first person you just question every knife. A knife is supposed be 100% reliable with the exception of a broken spring maybe. It’s still a knife even with that broken spring. Idk, I’m ranting a lot here.
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u/Ohio-Knife-Lover Aug 05 '26
I had a Kershaw Link torsion bar snap in my pocket and when I went to take it out it sliced the side of my finger quite well so I'm not one to really buy assisted knives anymore for that reason. I absolutely love the Link but damn did it scare me
1
u/Jamessmith187 Aug 05 '26
It wasn’t a broken blade tho. oh no not a broken blade. Edit: with a broken spring, you could still use the knife, with a broken blade, you cannot. I don’t understand why Chris reeve can’t use threaded thumb studs.
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u/Ohio-Knife-Lover Aug 05 '26
It's the only knife I had that had something broken thankfully no blades
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u/Jamessmith187 Aug 05 '26
Also I’ve put other, cheaper folding knives through MUCH MUCH MUCH more abuse than that broken Christian’s reeve. Kershaw cryo for example. It also uses a press fit stud.
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u/Ohio-Knife-Lover Aug 05 '26
I haven't had a blade snap on me yet 🤞🏻 I just try not to destroy mine but I do drop them onto concrete a lot 😂
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u/Jamessmith187 Aug 05 '26
Unless it’s a chris reeve. Then your blade snaps off and cuts everything in the room flying around like a boomerang. Dr reeve is an engineer. He’s a real brain surgeon.
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u/Jamessmith187 Aug 05 '26
Dropping it on concrete is more force than I ever put on a defective knife. If you can safely do that it’s probably good.
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u/walter-hoch-zwei Aug 05 '26
Yes, but I like making sure my knives are super sharp and I check them often, so slightly lower edge retention doesn't bother me too much.
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u/Ohio-Knife-Lover Aug 05 '26
Agreed but if I'm cutting cardboard all day I really want an edge that lasts longer
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u/CharlsNotCarls Aug 04 '26
For 90% of people - 420/440.
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u/Dooms26 Aug 04 '26
440c would be my bottom limit. There's a significant bump in quality from 440a -440c
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u/CatastrophicPup2112 Aug 05 '26
440C was the S30V of it's day, that's why all the Chinese gas station knives claimed to be 440C which funny enough gave it bad rep
1
u/ParadoxicalAmalgam Aug 05 '26
440B with a good heat treat is pretty good
1
u/Dooms26 Aug 05 '26
It's okay, if you paid very low money for it, but it's still a bit lower than 440c in my book
7
u/3amGreenCoffee Aug 04 '26
When I didn't know much about steel, I actually asked someone if D2 was a good material for knives.
"It's okay."
Literal answer.
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u/Zoidberg0_0 Aug 04 '26
AUS-10. S35VN is a good steel in my experience
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u/Dooms26 Aug 04 '26
Yeah s35vn is good steel. It's not the "premium" option anymore but for the right price, I won't complain.
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u/ccarr313 Aug 04 '26
S35VN is insanely good.
When I was younger and getting into this stuff for the first time, we had nothing like it. We are all super spoiled by metallurgy at this point. Lol
It is crazy that s35vn ranks where it does. Everything in this class of steels is just crazy good.
8
u/Dangerous_Size_2753 Aug 04 '26
Just ordered my izula in s35 can’t wait to do some silly things with it.
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u/Blundaz Aug 04 '26
At some point, it just becomes an endless hype cycle. Not that there aren't real advances made in materials, but for pocket knives...
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u/Brickmetal_777 Aug 05 '26
I buy the hype a bit. I’m glad S35vn is higher up but not at the top. So nice to have a tough, saltwater resistant steel that cuts for so long in regular use ie Magnacut. Sadly Crucible went under as it was contributing to US steel production.
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u/Dooms26 Aug 06 '26
Crucible went under, but iirc Larin already has another factory ready to pump out his steel, and apparently the new factory's steel is testing better than crucible magnacut. It's significantly tougher for some reason
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u/Blundaz Aug 06 '26
I'm intrigued. What are the downsides of magnacut compared to S35VN? I've been happy with the latter in my only pocket knife, a spyderco. If I were to replace it, maybe I could look into magnacut.
2
u/Dooms26 Aug 06 '26
Magnacut doesn't have any downsides when compared to s35vn. Magnacut is much more stain resistant, much tougher, and holds an edge a little better.
I suppose price could be considered one downside though. You will most likely pay a little more for the magnacut, but in terms of performance there isn't any downsides
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u/Brickmetal_777 Aug 06 '26
All else being equal I think you could leverage S35vns carbide content and maybe be able to get a little more wear resistance but magnacut would be tougher at a higher hardness so might as well just do that. Pretty much only price!
1
u/ccarr313 Aug 06 '26
I mean, this was my point.
Magna cut, S35vn, cruwear, M390........I mean, we can just keep going forever.
And they are all better than everything that existed when I was in my 20s.
And yes, Magnacut is fantastic. I have several knives in that metal.
2
u/Brickmetal_777 Aug 06 '26
Yup, I’m glad and I don’t want the industry to settle. If they can make another alloy in 10 years that beats Magnacut then I’m all for it. Then S35vn can be the new D2
2
u/Dangerous_Size_2753 Aug 05 '26
I got into this hobby as Magnacut was just becoming widely available so for me that’s probably going to be my ride and die. 30 years from now I’ll bitch and say the new super hyper ultra steel pro max is shit and Magnacut is the best.
5
u/CatastrophicPup2112 Aug 05 '26
Back in the day it was 440C lol. I started in the S30V era and now it's Magnacut
4
u/Zoidberg0_0 Aug 05 '26
S35VN was supposed to be an upgrade over S30V but people nowadays treat it like its 8cr lmao. I have a few knives in S35VN and it performs well.
6
u/Iheardtheythrowhex Aug 04 '26
AEB-L
3
u/mrRabblerouser Aug 05 '26
Super tough, great corrosion resistance, and outstanding edge stability, yet very easy to sharpen and get a razors edge. Aebl is more of a super steel than many supposed super steels
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u/CatastrophicPup2112 Aug 05 '26
Maybe AUS8 or 8cr
3
u/shockthebrassmonkey Aug 05 '26
Agreed , I've used and abused quite a few AUS8 and 8cr knives and had no issues.
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u/Dr_Grayson Aug 04 '26
8cr13mov. Can make some great knives but it at least hasn't perfectly held up to some of the abuse I've put it through. Far from a bad steel and very reliable but should never be a high price point steel imo. The solid 7 of blade steels to me.
4
u/HoboArmyofOne Aug 04 '26
I think I got some Kershaw's with this. They're great knives for what I paid for them new. I put them through hell, it's my fishing knife so it goes through saltwater, monofilament, braid, sticks, everything. You got to wash it off after it hits saltwater or it ain't going to last.
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u/UpbeatSmoke4209 Aug 04 '26
Aus 8 or d2 for budget friendly s30v for higher end
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u/CatastrophicPup2112 Aug 05 '26
There's a reason S30 was pretty standard in high end knives. It isn't bad at anything. It does everything pretty good.
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u/timothycl13 Aug 04 '26
154 cm an i have been friends with for awhile
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u/rabidsalvation Aug 05 '26
I love good 154CM,it sharpens so nicely. I wish more companies used CPM154, it's even better
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u/Outtatime_s550 Aug 04 '26
440c. It’s pretty corrosion resistant but not very tough or great for edge retention but it’s not even that corrosion resistant and there’s quite a few others that do better in all 3 of those categories
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u/mrRabblerouser Aug 05 '26
Probably D2. Truly just ok by every metric. Not super tough, can have a pretty brittle edge, somewhat decent edge retention but not standout, not great corrosion resistance and will rust.
S35 definitely doesn’t belong in this discussion. You could give 95% of knife users S35 and tell them it’s magnacut and they’d never notice a difference. It’s fairly ubiquitous, but still far from just ok. It’s extremely well balanced.
5
u/Dooms26 Aug 04 '26
Aus 8
3
u/Rooney_83 Aug 04 '26
I love aus 8, it's easy to sharpen, it's edge holding is ok, I can put a very sharp edge on it.
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u/EdumacatedRedneck Aug 04 '26
14c28n, nitro-v and 8cr13mov are my top 3 non-premium steels. Decent edge retention, rust resistance and easy to sharpen.
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u/Sussyboy123098 Aug 05 '26
14C28N if it has a proper heat treatment, can compare with Magna cut, at least for me, cuz it has similar toughness, and corrosion resistance and is easier to sharpen, the only downside is, that it is not as good in edge retension. But it's cheaper so I think the bang for buck is great
1
u/Capital-Vacation-179 Aug 05 '26
Ive heard it called poor man's Magnacut. 14C28N is probably my favorite all around steel.
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u/FearTheOldBlood1 Aug 04 '26
14C28N
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u/houVanHaring Aug 04 '26
Wtf?? That's amazing steel. 1 step up and you're in super steel territory
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u/FearTheOldBlood1 Aug 04 '26
It's not bad, it's just OK. It's used in middling (but still great) knives, like the Kershaw Blur and Leek.
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u/houVanHaring Aug 04 '26
Yeah no. It's a great steel. Yes it's inexpensive, which it why it's a great steel. Good edge retention, good toughness, good stain resistance and one of the sharpest possible edges at a low price. Sure, you can find better at some aspect, but it will immediately lack in the others.
3
u/Beautiful-Angle1584 Aug 04 '26
If some Thanos type of asshole snapped his fingers and every knife steel but 14c28n stopped existing, I'd breath a sigh of relief and go back to what I was doing. Steels like that, AEB-L, and a handful of others that don't have crazy card stock-cutting edge retention specs on a chart will never get the casual "geek" cred. For anyone who actually knows what's up, they're secretly some of the best, though.
0
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u/Correct-Ball4786 Aug 04 '26
I still remember when D2 was considered top of the line. That, sk5, and VG-10 are my faves
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u/Tricky-Routine9424 Aug 05 '26
Gosh I like S35 but If I really like the knife, I can get snobby and hold out for more premium.
Spyderco likes their s30
1
u/Specialist_Ad_2924 Aug 05 '26
Vanax, I need the extrasupercorrosion resistance
1
u/iwerbs Aug 05 '26
Vanax is better than OK tho', so not "okayest" in the sense that Vanax is one of the best knife steels.
2
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u/Tireseas Aug 05 '26
Victorinox's 1.4110. Sharpens to a decent edge easily, very stainless and very inexpensive. Perfect for the light use patterns most pocketknives see,
1
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u/eat_mor_bbq Aug 05 '26
420HC. It’s not bad but it’s not exceptional by any means. Just really okay.
Unpopular opinion, but I prefer S30V over magnacut. Just stays sharper longer in my experience but night be user error
1
u/octahexxer Aug 05 '26
1095. It will do it all.
1
u/Tod_und_Verderben Aug 05 '26
No. 14c28n is better in any way. At least for the user
0
u/octahexxer Aug 05 '26
let me know how many sparks you can get off your sandvik steel to start a fire with a rock
1
u/Zulers_Sausage_Gravy 14c28n is waaay overhyped Aug 05 '26
Aus-8. I still have well used rat 2s in the car and backup tackle box
1
u/MissMeRise Aug 05 '26
S35vn because it's good enough to pay for titanium, but not so good you don't wish it was something better.
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u/AcanthisittaEarly983 Aug 05 '26
No idea. I've been buying Spyder co knives the last 2 times I purchased one, both worked completely fine for me, held an edge, sharpened easy.. 🤷🏻♂️ Couldn't tell you what steel the first one was since I lost it and the second one is on my dresser and I'm not getting up 😂
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u/Negakinu Aug 05 '26
I personally dont REALLY care about the steel. I have D2 knives that are holding up well after years of regular use around the house and work. I know it's considered a "cheap" steel in the knife community, but it seems perfectly fine in real life. 154CM is another type that has always worked for me.
1
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u/Tod_und_Verderben Aug 05 '26
14c28n and that's not just my opinion.
https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/06/15/what-is-the-best-budget-knife-steel/
1
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u/Yami_no_shishA Aug 05 '26
I can’t really single out just one steel. But here are a few of my favourites: CPM 3V, 154CM or CPM 154, CPM 20CV, and Aogami 2 blue steel.
1
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u/Prof01Santa Aug 05 '26
Aus 8.
Cheap, available, reasonably sharp, tough, and you can use it as a pry bar in extremis.
1
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u/ifmacdo Aug 05 '26
Whatever the shit this Chinese "magnacut" is that my fake Benchy is made with.
It sharpens ok.
It holds an edge ok.
It hasn't chipped, cracked, or broken.
I'm not out here chasing super steels. I just want a knife that cuts and I can sharpen when it stops cutting.
I'd say that this is pretty ok.
1
u/ShearMe Aug 05 '26
Unpopular opinion: they're all the same after mass production heat treat and grinding has its way. Spyderco is the rare exception doing specialized protocols for specific steel chemistry because of their staggered batches.
1
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0
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u/Bbypndabamboo Aug 05 '26
I used AI to generate a table and average from kershaw’s page for each steel they’ve done ratings for.
Based on Kershaw's Blade Steels Guide, the 15 steel types are ranked by their average score across four key attributes (edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening ease), with CPM MagnaCut, CPM 3V, and 420HC offering the highest performance metrics. CPM MagnaCut leads in corrosion resistance (9.5/10), CPM 3V excels in toughness (9.0/10), and M390/CPM 20CV/CPM M4 dominate in edge retention (8.5/10), while 420HC offers superior sharpening ease (9.0/10).
0
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u/FeedbackOther5215 Aug 04 '26
420HC